"Wings" Review

 

by Daniel White

Winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture, the silent film Wings (1927) has not aged well. It certainly isn't of the same caliber as Sunrise, another flick in contention that year (while Wings won for "Outstanding Picture," F. W. Murnau's classic received "Best Unique and Artistic Picture," the only time the Academy included such a category). Overlong, the WWl action/romance movie's prestige centers around its spectacular special effects (think Titanic, only instead of one big ship sinking, a bunch of little airplanes are falling). Director William Wellman has done an impressive job staging the aerial scenes but the novelty of such derring-do soon wears thin. The problem is the story unfolding on the ground is not that compelling. Like James Cameron's overrated, waterlogged dud, the fiction attached to the historic event is yawn-inducing.

Richard Arlen and Charles "Buddy" Rogers play a pair of young men from the same home town who get caught up in the fervor of war and enlist. Both in love with the same girl (Jobyna Ralston), an animosity exists between them. However, their rivalry soon subsides, replaced by an affectionate camaraderie.

But the top acting honors go to Clara Bow. She plays Mary Preston, next door neighbor to Jack Powell (Rogers). A vivacious gal, full of gumption, she carries a torch for Jack. Joining up as an ambulance driver, she follows him over to France. Bow is magnetic and lights up the screen every time she's on (which, unfortunately is not enough). The visual of tiny Clara tooling around in a huge supply truck put a slap-happy smile on my face. The film may be dated but Clara Bow is remarkably fresh and alive.

Lanky Gary Cooper has a cameo as a doomed flying ace. According to director Wellman, Cooper and Bow "began a tumultuous affair" on the set of Wings. Not only that, she was a notorious flirt, carrying on with cast and crew.

Of special interest is a scene in a Paris nightclub where two lesbians are observed, sharing a kiss.Such provocative and modern touches are welcome but they can't save Wings from being a dullish, repetitive romp. However, we'll always have Clara. Wings may have been lauded for its action in the skies, but it's the heavenly Clara Bow who makes a lasting impression. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, Wings is currently streaming on Tubi.